The spiked podcast 337: ‘I became a pariah in corporate America’ | Jennifer Sey
Feb 5, 2025
Jennifer Sey, a former US national-champion gymnast and ex-Levi’s brand president, shares her dramatic fall from corporate grace after speaking out against Covid school closures. She discusses the 'awokening' of corporate America and how cancel culture impacted her life. Sey also introduces her new venture, XX-XY Athletics, highlighting the contentious fight over women’s sports. The conversation critiques corporate hypocrisy and dives into the cultural implications of gender identity legislation, advocating for fairness and safety in athletics.
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Jennifer Sey's Resignation from Levi's
- Jennifer Sey's outspokenness against COVID restrictions at Levi's led to online harassment and calls for her termination.
- She ultimately resigned but faced difficulty finding new work due to her non-conformist stance.
Shifting Corporate Ethos
- Independent thinking and questioning established norms are now seen as dangerous in corporate settings.
- This shift contrasts with the earlier "move fast and break things" ethos.
SNL and the Shift in Mocking Wokeness
- A 2017 Saturday Night Live skit mocking Levi's "wokeness" marked a turning point.
- Humor about this topic became unacceptable after the summer of 2020 and the rise of BLM.